About Me

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Nitebyrd's Nest - presented by The Undead Bazaar

You've seen 'em. They come out of theme parks late in the day. They come out of malls, fast food restaurants and parks. You might be one or know one ... A ZOMBIE MOMMY!

Zombie Mommies are the creation of Gail who runs the Etsy store, Nitebyrd's Nest. Featuring more than just wonderfully crafted Zombie Mommy dolls, Nitebyrd's Nest is also host to other "Necessary Oddities" that are unleashed from Gail's creative hands.

"Their brains are fried, replaced with 100% new polyester fiberfill. Their eyesare blank and glazed like buttons. Their skin is a strange color like cottonmuslin hand dyed in boiling hot water using organic dye. Hair like yarn, pokingup and around their brainless heads. They are over the edge, gone around thebend yet still soft and kinda cuddly."

Roberta Snipe, Georgina Gladiolus, Roxanne Sawyer

Gail has been creating "Zombie Mommies" and selling them on Etsy for over two years. Even though she is "the original zombie mommy", her two children are both alive and well. "I have two children, a boy and a girl," Gail explains. "Both are now adults but neither one ever slept when they were young. Their names aren’t Carrie and Damien but they could be. I’m still trying to catch up on sleep."

Gail was an art major in college and is enjoying the opportunity to be creative once again. She credits the wonderful Etsy community for her recent spark in creativity. Besides the Zombie Mommies, she also creates unique jewelry as-well-as purses and totebags out of placemats. "I’ve done a few mixed-media pieces, skeleton hand Christmas ornaments, and a picture called "When Dreams Die". Skulls, skeletons, and zombies are things I really like."

Update: Mention Zombies & Toys when you make a purchase from Gail's Etsy store and receive 15% off of your purchase!

Gail's attraction to zombies? "Zombies are sort of quiet, slow moving, dull … like me in away! LOL Zombies don’t really ever get glamorized like vampires. No zombie ever sparkled in the sunlight or was lusted after by hot human chicks.Zombies are like “every man and/or woman". Regular Joe’s with a twist. Besides, zombies love you for your brains."

What was your inspiration to begin making zombie dolls?"I’m not a “people person”. I don’t jump right in and interact with people. I like to observe and listen. The first time I thought about Zombie Mommies was after a long day at Epcot Center. I was sitting near the exit drinking some wine watching folks leave. The parents of young children all had that hollow thousand-yard stare, were disheveled and not walking, they were shuffling. The ones whose kids were screaming or crying definitely had a wee homicidal glint in those hollow eyes. From then on, I’d look at mothers, especially, in the mall at Christmas or at carnivals, bazaars, supermarkets, etc. I began to notice they all had the same look – zombie-ish!"

If we were going to make a doll of you, would you be a zombie or a survivor? What accessories would you want? "Since I consider myself an honorary zombie, I’d be a survivalist zombie! I’d probably choose something tasteful like a jeweled, double-edge sword. However, never underestimate the rage-filled power of a menopausal woman to just rip heads off with her bare hands should she be sufficiently pissed-off. I’d also want a pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes."

If bitten by a zombie, would you want to meet your demise prior to changing or would you let the inevitable occur?"Should a zombie get me, I’d probably just go with the flow and see what happens. I think it might be kind of fun, no more pantyhose or make-up. Definitely no more cooking!hould a zombie get me, I’d probably just go with the flow and see what happens. I think it might be kind of fun, no more pantyhose or make-up. Definitely no more cooking!"

Any favorite zombie films, books, or games?"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Night of the Living Dead, Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland, Frankenstein(not technically a zombie, but close enough), Re-Animator, Evil Dead, 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later, I Am Legend, the story. The movie was okay, not great. I have a small collection of Living Dead Dolls for inspiration and because I just love them! I actually like all kinds of horror books, stories, movies, etc. I don’t play video games so I have no clue about them."